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Hey, kids! Last week I wrote about the art of arguing, but I used some Latin terms and talked about the decline of society, so you probably assumed it was "old people advice." Well, it was. How about if I use this column just for you? How would you like a few tricks to use when arguing with adults?

"American Exceptionalism" is a central theme for Mitt Romney and those who gathered this week at the Republican National Convention. For many conservatives, unwavering belief in the inherent goodness, unique character, and global superiority of the U.S. is a minimum requirement for admission to the circle of "real Americans." In their eyes, President Obama's willingness to apologize to other nations and peoples - more so than questions about his birthplace - makes him unworthy of citizenship in "Real America."

The phone rang the other night during dinner. We often have the news on, although that's not good for digestion. Our satellite service displays on the TV screen the entity and phone number that's calling.

I gave my wisteria a haircut this weekend. I usually trim it about twice in the summer and then really cut it back in the fall when the leaves fall off. Every time I cut it in the summer, it gets really happy and grows at a greater speed and even flowers again.

I was in the middle of preparing a PowerPoint presentation for you on why House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, needs a campaign war chest of $356,415.19 to run unopposed for re-election in his district. The neat part was going to be explaining the $1,000 campaign contribution from the American Kennel Club, located in New York. You will be interested to know The American Goat Association, located in Pipe Creek, Texas, did not contribute to Mr. Ralston. I think this proves beyond doubt why goats have so little influence under the Gold Dome. (When was the last ...

I was in the middle of preparing a PowerPoint presentation for you on why House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, needs a campaign war chest of $356,415.19 to run unopposed for re-election in his district. The neat part was going to be explaining the $1,000 campaign contribution from the American Kennel Club, located in New York. You will be interested to know The American Goat Association, located in Pipe Creek, Texas, did not contribute to Mr. Ralston. I think this proves beyond doubt why goats have so little influence under the Gold Dome. (When was the last ...

I gave my wisteria a haircut this weekend. I usually trim it about twice in the summer and then really cut it back in the fall when the leaves fall off. Every time I cut it in the summer, it gets really happy and grows at a greater speed and even flowers again.

The Chinese kind, which I have, is an invasive plant. It will take over the world. I have cut it out of my fig tree, which is at least 15 feet from the original plant, and from an azalea bed, which is more than 30 feet from ...

In politics, where there are more men than women in elected positions, it's easy to get the impression that men matter most. You see them on TV, see their pictures in the paper, hear them pontificating on the issues on TV and radio.

So it may surprise you to learn that women matter more than might be evident. Why? They outvote men.

When Republicans formally nominate Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan next week, the race against President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will be officially underway.

Yet, while the two teams represent different ideological views, different upbringings, different faith backgrounds and different experiences, neither of them has yet inspired any confidence among voters. Just 32 percent believe the economy will be stronger in a year if Obama is re-elected. Only 36 percent think it will be stronger if Romney wins.

The uninvited participation of a hurricane at next week's Republican convention would be superfluous. Buffeted by powerful internal winds, the party may be flooded with cash, but it's already kind of a debris-strewn mess.

Who would have imagined that Topic A, in the days before GOP delegates gather in Tampa, would be abortion? Certainly the thought never crossed the minds of the convention planners who intended this four-day infomercial to be a nonstop indictment of President Obama's performance on the economy. But the old line about the relationship between the political parties and their candidates - "Democrats fall ...